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■"V ■ 6 



BRIEF SKETCH 



OF THE 



FIRST SETTLEMENT OF 



Together with a few of the events which took 
place there in early times. 



BY ONE OF THE DESCENDANTS OP THE FIRST 
SETTLERS OF THE TOWN. 



..J 



GREENFIEIiD. 

JAMES P. FOGG PRINTER. 

1833. 



>' 'Y 



PREFACE 



The writer of the following sketch is desirous 
3f preserving to posterity some account of the in- 
jidents which relate to the early settlement of the 
iown, with a view of handing it down to poster- 
ity; believing that it will gratify the feelings of 
chose who are descendants of the early settlers 
of the place ; — to them it may be a source of sat- 
isfaction to learn what privations and suflferings 
their ancestors endured. To those who are not 
immediate descendants from the suflferers, it may 
be some gratification to read of the exploits, 
the sufferings, the hairbreadth escapes which were 
the lot of those who first ventured to take a stand 
on the borders between civilized man, and the 
savage state. 

A writer on this subject, a half a century ago, 
makes the following remarks : — "I have often 
heard it lamented" says he, ''that no more care 
was taken in the first settlement of this country, 
to preserve the memory of the early transactions 
2 



IV 



of our forefathers, of the many hardships and 
difficulties they endured in this wilderness, of the 
perils and dangers they endured, of the signal 
deliverances granted to them, and of the distin- 
guished blessings conferred upon them, both of a 
spiritual and a temporal nature."* 

It has now become a matter of much interest 
to the Antiquarian, to learn what were the per- 
ils endured by the first settlers, the time and 
place of some of the principal incidents, which 
without some record, would soon be lost. One 
object is to mark out the places where, and note 
the time when, such incidents occurred ; together 
with as many facts relating thereto as can now 
be collected to substantiate them. Time has ob- 
literated many of the facts, — death has removed 
nearly all the ancient men, who once could have 
entertained us with much interesting information 
on those topics. It is hoped that the time spent 
in collecting the facts for this little work, may 
not be wholly lost, but that it may serve to grati- 
fy the curiosity of some at least, into whose hands 
it may chance to fall. 

Deerfield, 1833. E. H. 

♦Rev. Mr. Breck's century sermon delivered at 
Springfield, Oct. 16, 1775. 



FIRST SETTLEMENT 

OF . 

DEERFIEliB. 



In the year 1669, during the adminis- 
tration of Governor Bellingham, the 
government of Massachusetts Bay, made 
a grant of 8000 acres of land to the town 
of Dedham in the County of Norfolk ; 
this tract was located, and is a part of 
the territory which was in 1673, incor- 
porated by the general Court, into a 
town by the name of Deerfield, situated 
in that part of the state which was af- 
terwards erected into the County of 
Hampshire, (since into the County of 
Franklin.) The Indian name of Deer- 
field, was Pocomtuck. The first meet- 
ing of the proprietors of Dedham grant 
was held at Dedham, March 1st, 1670, 
'at which time, measures were taken to 
lay out the town plat at Pocomtuck — 



6 



soon after a settlement was commenced 
there, (probably, in 1671,) a few houses 
were built on the main street, and the 
settlers continued to live in peace with 
their Indian neighbors, until the break- 
ing out of King Phillips' war (so-called) 
in 1675. In September of that year the 
place was attacked and one of the settlers 
slain ; — they were again assailed by the 
Indians the same month while going to 
attend public worship on Sunday, fortu- 
nately no lives were lost. There being 
at this time a considerable quantity of 
grain at Deerfield, it was deemed pru- 
dent to remove it to some place of safe- 
ty ; accordingly Captain Lathrop with 
about 80 men, marched from Hadley, 
(about 15 miles south of Deerfield) ac- 
companied by a suitable number of 
teams, for the purpose of moving the 
grain to that place ; when on his return 
from Deerfield, September 18th, 1675, 
about four and a half miles south of the 
village, at a place now called Bloody- 
Brook, he was suddenly assailed by a' 
large body of Indians, lying in ambush, 



who were said to be commanded by- 
King Phillip in person ; the attack was 
sudden and furious. Capt. Lathrop and 
seventy three of his men fell in the ac- 
tion, the teams were destroyed and most 
of the teamsters slain. Captain Mosely 
who was stationed at the village of 
Deerfield, heard the firing, and immedi- 
ately marched with his company, to the 
relief of Capt. Lathrop, but he arrived 
on the battle ground too late, Lathrop 
with nearly all his men were slain. Capt. 
Mosely found himself obliged to engage 
the whole Indian force several hours. 
When Major Treat very opportunely 
coming from a scout up the river hearing 
the firing and marched to his relief with 
a force of about one hundred men, con- 
sisting of English, Pequod and Mohegan 
Indians, with their united force they de- 
feated the enemy and drove them off the 
ground ; Maj. Treat and Capt. Mosely 
then marched to the village of Deerfield 
and encamped ; the next day they return- 
ed to the battle ground to bury the dead. 
In the mean time a body of the same In- 
2# 



8 



dians appeared before the village and 
threatening an attack, holding up to 
view the scalps, and the bloody gar- 
ments which they had taken from Capt. 
Lathrop and his men, but at length they 
withdrew. There were about ninety 
men killed in Lathrop*s defeat including 
teamsters ; and it is said that the Indian 
loss amounted to ninety-six, during the 
day. 

Soon after this bloody catastrophe the 
garrison was withdrawn to Hadley, and 
the people left the town, which was de- 
stroyed by the Indians. 

At the winter session of the General 
Court 1677, the following order was 
passed : viz. 

" Ordered that a garrison be sent to 
Deerfield, and that the inhabitants pre- 
pair to rebuild the town in a compact 
order, and that the inhabitants repair 
their this winter, that twenty soldiers be 
sent their." 

It appears that an attempt was made 
to carry this order into effect, the set- 
tlers repaired to Deerfield, and made an 



9 



effort to rebuild the town, but soon sev- 
eral of the inhabitants were slain by the 
Indians, and the town was again aban- 
doned to the enemy ; but in the Spring 
of 1682, the settlers again returned and 
commenced rebuilding the place and for 
several years lived unmolested. 

In 1693, the Indians again commenc- 
ed their depredations on the inhabitants 
and continued to harrass them until 
1704. At this period an expedition was 
fitted out by the Governor of Canada, 
(Vaudrieul) from Montreal, for the ex- 
press purpose of making an attack on 
Deerfield, consisting of 200 French and 
142 Indians, commanded by Major Kar- 
tell de Rouville, a French Partizen ofii- 
cer of note, they marched from Canada 
in the winter, and arrived and attacked 
the town February 29, 1704, a little be- 
fore day light in the morning, they en- 
tered the fort on the snow, it being then 
four feet deep and sufficiently hard, 
(with a crust) to bear them up ; they 
came over the palisadoes, and immedi- 
ately divided themselves into parties arid 



10 

assailed the houses in various parts of 
the fort, at the same instant. This was 
the first intimation that the inhabitants 
had of their approach, there was a few 
soldiers stationed here, but as there was 
no apprehension of an attack during the 
winter season, the guards were in the 
habit of retiring to rest sometime before 
midnight, so when the assault was made 
all were in profound sleep. The as- 
tonished inhabitants arose from their 
beds to defend themselves against the 
musket, the tomahawk, and the scalping 
knife; "at fearful odds," the struggle 
was soon over ; the enemy succeeded in 
taking all that part of the village which 
was situated within the principal fort, 
except one house, which was bravely 
defended, but that was afterwards burn- 
ed. The population at this time amount- 
ed to about 280, of which there were 
killed by the enemy 47, and made pris- 
oners, 112, nineteen of whom were slain 
on their way to Canada, principally on 
account of being unable to bear the fa- 
tigues and hardships of the journey^ in- 



11 



eluding two who starved to death : viz. 
David Hoyt and Jacob Hix. Of those 
who were carried to Canada 28 
never returned ; 62 were redeemed and 
returned after an absence of two and a 
half years. The descendants of some 
of those who remained and settled among 
the enemy, after several years, and dur- 
ing peace came to visit their relatives ; 
among them was Eunice, a daughter of 
the Rev. Mr. John Williams who with all 
his family (except his son Eleazer,) were 
either killed or carried into captivity 
this daughter was but about six years 
old when she was taken ; she lived 
among the Indians until she was grown 
to a state of womanhood, when she 
was married to a native Indian, and 
reared up a family of children, who took 
the name of the mother, (Williams.) — 
She became firmly attached to the Indi- 
an habits, and modes of living, and also 
to the Romish religion, her friends made 
an effort to pursuade her to remain with 
them when at Deerfield, but all in vain ; 
Sh^ could not be induced to give up her 



12 



Indian habits, she utterly refused to sleep 
on a bed, but choose to camp down up- 
on the floor with her blanket. One ot 
her descendants was educated m New 
England and has been a preacher of 
the gospel, somewhere on the borders of 
Lake Michigan, he bears the name of 
Eleazer Williams, his father is an Indian 
and lives at St. Rigis in Canada. During 
the attack on the town the enemy set 
fire to, and destroyed all the village 
within the fort, except the house men- 
tioned above, the house that is now 
standing (1833) and a small log church. 
As fast as they took prisoners they con- 
fined them in the church, or in the house 
now standing, and this is believed to 
be the reason why those buildings were 
not burned. It is said that the last men- 
tioned house was set on fire by the ene- 
my when they left the town, but the 
people who had escaped captivity came 
in soon and extinguished the fire before 
it had made much progress ; at this 
time, this was a frontier town there be- 
' ing no other settlement between it and 



13 

St. Johns' in Canada, (nearly 300 miles.) 
The house now owned and accupied 
by Elihu Hoyt, was at that time owned 
and occupied by Capt. John Sheldon, 
he was absent, but the principal part of 
his family were either killed or taken ; 
his wife was killed by a musket ball, fired 
through a hole cut in the front door ; by 
the tomahawk, (marks of which are now 
to be seen) the place where the ball pas- 
sed into the wall is still to be seen, as 
are several other ball holes, which were 
fired through the front window into the 
walls of the same room. It is said that- 
the Indians dashed out the brains of two 
children who were taken in this house, 
upon the flag stones, which still remain at 
the front door. There were many peo- 
ple in the house at the time, as it was 
the custom for all the inhabitants to re- 
tire to the forts at night for safety. The 
enemy did not force their way into the 
house through the front door, but effect- 
ed their entrance by a back passage 
which had been left open by a lad who 
had escaped from the house during the 



14 



assault. What is meant by the princi- 
pal fort here spoken of, is all that part 
of the village contained within the pick- 
ets, or palisadoes. The principal fort 
extended around a tract of the village 
containing probably fifteen or twenty 
acres, and included, as near as can be 
now ascertained, ten or twelve dwell- 
ings, besides out buildings. The houses 
were some of them built in form of a 
block-house with port holes, to fire down 
on an enemy ; their walls filled in with 
brick, making them proof against musk- 
etry, as may be seen by the house now 
standing, besides, there were mounds 
(so-called) built of hewn timbers and 
were ball proof; they were intended to 
be occupied for places of defence 
in case of an attack, but they were of 
no use in the present instance for instead 
of occupying the block-houses, the few 
troops here and the inhabitants were oc- 
cupying their beds, instead of ^ being on 
the watch, they were all asleep until they 
were roused from their slumbers by the 



15 



savage yells of the enemy at their 
doors. 

. There was one small fort about sixty 
rods south of the principal one, which 
was not taken by the enemy ; it is said 
they did not make a very powerful at- 
tack upon it, they had probably full em- 
ploy in the great fort, for the time they 
had allotted to themselves to finish their 
work, the}' commenced their retreat by 
sun an hour high on the morning of the 
assault, their departure was most likely 
hastened from an apprehension that they 
might be visited by a force from the 
towns down the river, where there were 
troops stationed, particularly at Hadley 
and Northampton. 

Could the Inhabitants have been ap- 
prised of the approach of the enemy, 
sufficient time to have prepared for de- 
fence, very little doubt exists that the 
fort might have been defended, and the 
people delivered from the bloody trage- 
dy w4iich followed, for it is well authen- 
ticated that they had exhausted their 
stock of provision, and were well nigh 



16 



a state of starvatioiij and there were 
some symptoms of mutiny among them, 
had they have failed of success in their* 
assault, and met with a defeat, they must 
have been compelled to lay down 
their arms and surrender at discression, 
for they were 300 miles from their sup- 
plies, and they could not have subsisted 
their army by hunting or fishing at this 
season of the year ; but by the fatal se- 
curity felt by the inhabitants ; the enemy 
succeeded in taking the fort, massacre- 
ing one portion of the people and carry- 
ing nearly all the remainder into capti- 
vity. 

A son of Capt. Sheldon with his wife 
lodged in the chamber directly over the 
room in which Mrs. Sheldon, (the moth- 
er) was killed, on the alarm they leaped 
out of the window, at the east end of the 
house, by the fall she so injured her an-' 
cle as to be unable to escape, being sen- 
sible that they should both fall into the 
hands of the enemy, she pursuaded her 
husband to leave her to her fate, and se- 
cure his own safety by flight, or they 



n 



would be both made prisoners with little 
chance of having their lives spared ; he 
with much reluctance left her, and es- 
caped from the savage enemy, and won- 
derful to relate, she was taken, and not- 
withstanding her lameness, was carried 
to Canada where she remained a prison- 
er about two and a half years, when 
she returned from captivity and lived 
with her husband and reared up a fam- 

During the time the prisoners were 
confined in the house, one of them by 
the name of Bridgman, secreted him- 
self under a quantity of bark in the gar- 
ret, but his enemy soon sought him out ; 
the Indian who discovered him called 
to his companions, and they came up 
and marched him down stairs forthwith ; 
soon after, they proceeded to the cellar 
in search of plunder, where Bridgman 
had again concealed himself behind the 
cellar door, and he remained there un- 
til all the Indians had passed him on 
their way up stairs, he came to the con- 
clusion to follow them, lest he should 

3 



18 



meet with harsh treatment if found a 
second time concealed ; he rejoined 
them at the head of the stairs without 
having been missed. When the enemy 
were preparing to march, the prisoners 
were brought out pinioned, preparatory 
to moving off; while waiting orders a 
young Indian came to Bridgman and 
took him by the hand, and with his 
knife deliberately cut around his fore- 
finger and twisted it off, and went his 
way. Whether this cruel transaction was 
to punish him for having concealed 
himself, or to try the young savage's skill 
in the use of the knife, or for some other 
purpose is unknown. Bridgman felt a 
disposition to retaliate on the spot, and 
abide the consequences ; but his hands 
being confined, he was under necessity 
of submitting to this savage insult. Soon 
after this they commenced their march. 
Bridgman began to loiter in the rear, 
and before they had proceeded far, he 
turned from them and made an effort to 
regain the town, and he succeeded in 
effecting his object, but he was severely 



19 



wounded by a shot from the enemy, 
■while ascending the hill a short distance 
from the fort. 

When the enemy commenced their 
retreat from the fort, all those capable 
of bearing arms, who had escaped the 
fate of their neighbors, mustered out, 
aided by a few who had arrived from 
Hadley and elsewhere, pursued and 
overtook the enemy in the meadow 
about one mile from the village, where 
they engaged them for a considerable 
length of time, and it is said that our 
people fought bravely, notwithstanding 
they were greatly outnumbered, and at 
one period of the battle they pushed the 
enemy so hard that their commander 
was apprehensive of a defeat ; he sent 
an Indian runner with orders to the 
guard who had the charge of the prison- 
ers to put them all to death ; but before 
the runner had proceeded far, a lucky 
hall put an end to his mission. 

The Indians soon after prevailed, 
and our people were compelled to re- 
treat. The savage order was not renew- 



20 



ed, and the prisoners escaped death for 
this time. They had been sent forward 
under a guard, and were bound to the 
trees until the action was over, and the 
army came up, from whence they were 
marched forward about four or five miles, 
where they encamped for the night. Here 
" they dug away the snow and made 
some wigwams, cut down some small 
branches of the spruce tree to lie down 
on, and gave the prisoners some what 
to eat." During the night one of the 
captives by the name of Alexander es- 
caped. In the morning Rev. Mr. Wil- 
liams was called for, and ordered by the 
commander, " to tell the captives, that 
if any more made their escape, they 
would burn the rest of the prisoners.'' 
The loss of the enemy in the meadow 
fight was thirty-six, and they had eleven 
killed in the assault on the fort. The 
loss of the English in the meadow was 
nine, and they also lost about forty- seven 
killed in the attack on the town. 

During the engagement in the fort 
one house (situated a few rods from the 



21 



house now standing,) was bravely de- 
fended by seven men, and they maintain- 
ed the defence against the whole French 
and Indian force during the time they 
remained. Great efforts were made by 
the enemy to carry the house by strata- 
gem, or to set fire to it. They procured 
an ox sled, and loaded it with straw, 
and set, it on fire, and forced it against 
the house ; but the brave men within 
sallied lorth and extinguished the flames ; 
and at length succeeded in driving the 
enemy from the house. While these 
men were thus engaged, their wives 
were employed in the cellar, casting 
balls to supply their husbands with the 
means of defending their families and 
their homes. One of those brave men 
lost his life by a shot from the enemy by 
imprudently exposing himself at the win- 
dow after they commenced their retreat ; 
another of them fell while engaged fight- 
ing the enemy in the meadow battle. 

While the inhabitants were thus en- 
gaged with the Indians in the meadow, 
the fire rekindled in the house which 



22 



had been so "bravely defended, and it 
was consumed. 

The people of Deerfield did not de- 
sert the town,but maintained themselves 
there through the Indian wars, but they 
were frequently harrassed by them until 
the conquest of Canada in 1760. Dur- 
ing this period many lives were lost, 
after which they had no more visits from 
the Indians, except a few straggling ones 
in time of peace. 

Among the trophies which the enemy 
carried away, was a small bell, which 
they took from the log Church ; it is 
said they transported it on a sledge un- 
til they arrived on the borders of Lake 
Champlain, where they buried it, and 
let it remain there until the opening of 
the Spring, when they returned, took it 
up and transported it to the village of 
St. Regis, and placed it in the Catholic 
Church, where it has remained ever 
since. 

There is a tradition that this bell was 
first purchased in France by the Romish 
Priest, belonging to St Regis, and that 



23 



the Indians, by his direction furnished 
sufficient amount of furs to pay the cost 
and charges, and it was expressly in- 
tended for their Church ; that the ves- 
sel on board which it was sent out, was 
captured by an English cruiser and 
brought into Salem, where the ship and 
cargo were sold for the benefit of the 
captors. The bell was bought at auc~ 
tion by some one, and sold to the people 
of Deerfield, and put up in their church 
for the use of the parish. Tradition 
says further, that when the people of St. 
Regis learned the fate of their bell, there 
was great lamentation among them, not 
so much for the loss of it, but because it 
had fallen into the hands of heretics ; 
and their E,ev. Teacher gave them to 
understand that it must be rescued out 
of the hands of these unbelievers in the 
true faith, at all hazards, and persuaded 
them to offer their services to join an 
expedition against Deerfield, for the pur- 
pose of recovering the bell out of un- 
holy hands ; hence they say was the 
origin of the expedition, but it is believ- 



24 



ed some more definite account of this 
transaction would have been transmitted 
to us than we now find, if these facts 
were so. We see no account in the 
history of those times relating to this 
event, we are therefore, disposed to be- 
lieve that it is at least problematical. 

Soon after the destruction of the town 
Capt. Sheldon conveyed his house and 
homelot to his son Ebenezer Sheldon, 
and removed to Hartford in Connecti- 
cut, the place of his nativity. 

In the year 1744, Ebenezer Sheldon 
sold this Homestead to Jonathan Hoyt, 
who, at his decease devised the same to 
his son David Hoyt, and he gave it by 
will to his son, the present owner. It is 
now (1833) eighty nine years since the 
place was purchased by the Grandfather 
of the present owner. The precise time 
when this house was built is not now 
known, but it is believed that it was 
not far from the time that the in- 
habitants returned to rebuild the town 
in 1682, certainly between that period 
and the time of the attack in 1704. 



25 



David, Hoyt, Great Grandfather to 
the present owner of the house was ta- 
ken by the enemy at the time, together 
with his wife and four children ; he 
starved to death while in the hands of 
the Indians, at, or near, what is now 
Newbury, in Vermont. One daughter 
was slain on the way to Canada; one 
son never returned from captivity, but 
he remained with the Indians until his 
death, at what period it is not known. 
One son and one daughter were redeem- 
ed, and returned to their native town, 
after an absence of two years and a 
half; his son Jonathan, (the one men- 
tioned above) was about 16 years of age 
when he was taken by the Indians, and 
he lived with them two and a half 
years at a place called Lorete, a few 
miles from Quebec, upon the river St 
Charles ; he could speak their language 
fluently until his death, which was in the 
ninety second year of his age. After he 
had a family and was settled in Deer- 
field, his old Indian master came from 
Canada to make him a friendly visit, 



26 



he was well received, and treated kindly. 
When he left, they took an affectionate 
leave of each other expecting to meet 
here no more. The Government of Mas- 
sachusetts employed an agent to redeem 
such as had been carried into captivity 
by the Indians. In 1706, Major Dudley, 
son to the Governor of Massachusetts, 
was residing at Quebec in that capacity, 
by whom Jonathan Hoyt was redeemed 
from his master in the following manner: 
The Indians were in the habit of raising 
and bringing to market, garden sauce 
&c. One day Major Dudley saw young 
Hoyt in the street, he said to him, are 
you not an English boy ? he answered 
yes ; do you not wish to go home and 
see your friends ? I do, was his answer ; 
where is your master ? said the gentle- 
. man ; somewhere in the city said the 
boy ; bring him to me said he ; the lad 
now tripped over the ground with a light 
heart, in pursuit of his master, who soon 
came. The agent said to the Indian, I 
will give you this for the boy, holding 
out to him twenty dollars ; the tempta- 



27 

tion was too great to be rsisted; the 
bargain was made, the money handed 
over, and the Indian went away well sat- 
isfied. The gentleman immediately sent 
the boy on board a ship then lying in 
the river for the reception of the ran- 
somed prisoners. The agent was aware 
that when the Indian had leisure to re- 
flect he would return and make a pro- 
position to give up the money and take 
his boy again ; he was not mistaken in 
his conjecture ; he soon came back and 
desired to give up the money for the 
boy; he was told he could not have 
him, he was out of his reach ; the Indian 
went away lamenting that he had part- 
ed with his favorite captive boy, for a 
few dumb dollars, that would neither 
hunt nor fish. By this means the cap- 
tive was restored to his home and his 
friends; the ship sailed from Quebec to 
Boston, from whence the captives were 
sent to their respective places of destm- 
ation, rejoicing once more to meet and 
enjoy their friends, and to be free from 
bondage. 



28 



The Rev. John Williams, minister of 
the town, together with his wife and 
children, except his son Eleazer. were 
all either killed or taken prisoners. 
Two of his children were slain at the 
threshold of his own door. Mr. Wil- 
liams was a son of Mr. Samuel Williams, 
of Roxbury, where he was born, Dec. 
10th, 1664. He took his degree at 
Harvard College 1683 ; Settled in the 
ministry at Deerfield, May 1686, He 
married Eunice, daughter of the Rev. 
Eleazer Mather of Northampton. At 
the time of the attack on the town Mrs. 
Williams was weak and unable to travel ; 
the next day after she was taken, in 
crossing the Green river, in the north 
part of what is now Greenfield, about 
six miles from her home she fell in the 
water, and was unable to proceed ; her 
savage master thereupon sunk his toma- 
hawk into her head, and she expir- 
ed on the spot, and was left unburied. 
Her husband had requested his master 
to let him go to her assistance before 
she fell, but he refused to grant the re- 



29 



quest. Her remains were soon after 
found by some of the people of Deer- 
field and were brought in and decently 
interred. The tomb stones show the 
place where her remains rest, on which 
is the following Inscription : viz. — 

" Here lyeth the body of Mrs. Eu- 
nice Williams, the vertues and desira- 
ble consort of the Rev. John Williams, 
and daughter of Rev. Eleazer and Mrs. 
Esther Mather of Northampton. She 
was born Aug. 2, 1664, and fell by the 
rage of the barbarous enemy, March 1, 
1703—4." 

" Proverb 31 — 28. Her children rise 
up and call her blessed." 

Mr. Williams with his remaining chil- 
dren was carried into captivity where 
they endured much hardship ; he event- 
ually effected the redemption of all his 
children except his daughter Eunice, 
spoken of above. She married an In- 
dian and lived in their habits and died 
in the Romish faith. Mr. Williams re- 
turned from captivity in November, 1706, 
after an absence of two and a half years ; 



30 



he landed at Boston, from Quebec, and 
was immediately waited on by a com- 
mittee from his parish in Deerfield, with 
a request that he would return and con- 
tinue his labors amon^ his people, which 
invitation he accepted : and he preached 
there until his death which took 
place June 12th, 1729. He lived much 
respected, and died greatly lamented, by 
the people of his charge, and by all his 
friends and acquaintances. He was 
buried near by his first wife, and his 
tomb stones bear the following inscrip- 
tion : viz. — 

" Here lyes the body of the Rev. John 
Williams, the beloved and faithful pas- 
tor of this place, who died on June 12, 
1729, in the 65th year of his age." 

" Rev. 14 — 13. Writes, blessed are 
the dead which die in the Lord." 

Mr. Williams had three sons educated 
at Harvard College, and they were all 
eventually settled in the ministry as fol- 
lows : viz. — 

Eleazer, at Mansfield, Conn. Stephen, 



31 



at Longmeadow, Mass. Waretiam, at 
Waltham, Mass. 

There are not now living in Deerfield 
any descendants from the Rev. John 
Williams, in a direct male line ; but one 
of Mr. Williams' daughter's, by his sec- 
ond wife, married Doct. Thomas Wil- 
liams of Roxbury, (now deceased,) who 
has one son settled at Deerfield. It is 
believed that there are many descend- 
ants of Rev. John Williams, in Connec- 
ticut and elsewhere. We have always 
understood that the Rev. Eleazer Wil- 
liams left a family at Mansfield, and Rev. 
Stephen Williams at Longmeadow, some 
of whom we have seen. Rev. Ware- 
ham Williams of Waltham left a family, 
but we know little of them, except his 
son Samuel, who was a professor in 
Harvard University ; he afterwards re- 
moved to Vermont, where he died, leav- 
ing posterity; some of them have re- 
cently visited Deerfield to view the place 
where their ancestors met with severe 
trials and sufferings. 

The inhabitants of Deerfield suffered 



32 



as much by the cruelties of the savages, 
according to their number, perhaps, as 
those of any other town in New Eng- 
land ; it was for a long time a frontier 
settlement; from the time the people 
began to settle in 1671. to the conquest 
of Canada in 1760, a period of eighty 
nine years, there was but a short space 
that the inhabitants were not exposed to 
the attacks of the enemy ; during which 
period the town was twice destroyed, 
and its inhabitants mostly killed or car- 
ried into captivity ; many of the latter 
were compelled to spend their days 
among the Indians, and adopt their hab- 
its and mode of living, those who were 
young seemed soon to forget their rela- 
tives and friends, and reconcile them- 
selves to their condition, and in a short 
space of time lost the use of their native 
language, and adopted that of the In- 
dians, which they soon spoke fluently. 
Many of the elder ones fell into the 
hands of the French, and in some in- 
stances intermarried and formed con- 
nection among them, but with few ex- 



33 



ceptions, very little is known either 
of those whose lot it was to fall into the 
hands of the French or Indians. There 
are doubtless many of their descendants 
now living in Canada, who are unknown 
by their connections here, and probably 
will always remain so. 

Two brothers were taken from Deer- 
field and carried to Canada, and resided 
among the Indians, a short distance from 
Quebec, on the river St. Charles. The 
elder one lived with them two and a 
half years, when he was redeemed out 
of their hands and returned to his native 
town, where he settled. He said, that 
his younger brother, (who was about 14 
years old) had so far adopted the Indian 
habits, before he left them, and become 
so much attached to them, that he al- 
ways avoided meeting him, if in his 
power, and would never speak the En- 
glish language, but make use of the In- 
dian dialect. That in fine he had be- 
come in the short space of two and a 
half years, completely Indian in his hab- 
its, manner and feelings. His friends 

4 



34 



never heard more from him after his 
brother's return, he probably lived and 
died among the Indians. 

Much has been said in relation to the 
manner by which our ancestors procur- 
ed their titles to the lands which they 
purchased of the Indians ; many enter- 
tain an idea that the first settlers of New- 
England took from the natives their lands 
without giving them any consideration 
therefor ; that this may have been the 
case in some instances is probably true, 
and it would be very strange if it were 
not so, after the severe struggles and tri- 
als which were had between the settlers 
and the natives ; but there is reason to 
suppose that the purchase of lands of 
the Indians was much more extensive 
than is generally believed to be ; by a 
little recurrence to the history of our 
country, we find evidence to show that a 
large portion of New England was pro- 
cured either by treaty, or by deed, from 
some of the' head men of the several 
tribes inhabiting the lands so conveyed ; 
and a valuable consideration paid there- 



35 

for. Most of the lands lying along the 
Connecticut river, were purchased of the 
natives by deeds, (many of which are still 
extant.) So far as we have examined, 
we find that the territory contained in 
the following towns, along the valley of 
the Connecticut, is among that which 
was purchased by deed, viz : 

East and West Haddam, Wethersfield, 
Hartford, Windsor, Suffield in Conn. ; and 
Springfield, Longmeadow, Westfield, 
Northampton, Hadley, Deerfield, and 
Northfield, in Mass. 

Many more might be mentioned did 
we deem it necessary ; that these pur- 
chases were made in good faith by both 
parties, we have no doubt. If any doubt 
exists on our mind, it is whether the per- 
sons who sold the land had sufficient 
^ authority to do so, and if they had 
whether they were not deceived in the 
amount or value, of what they received 
in payment.* But taking into view the 

*When the Rev. John Davenport and compa- 
ny, first went to settle at Quinipiack, (now New- 
Haven,) they purchased the territory of Monan- 



36 



natural sagacity of the natives, add to 
this the jealousy they entertained tow- 
ards their white neighbors, we may pret- 
ty safely conclude that their bargains 
were as well understood by the Indians 
who participated in them, as by the 
whites ; they were doubtless considered 
by both parties, as a bona fida sale, and 
conveyance of the lands. The natives 
perhaps did not consider the consequen- 
ces which would be likely to follow, by 
dispossessing themselves of their lands. 
This we think is most likely to have been 
the case, still we incline to believe that 
the sales were mutually satisfactory at 
the time they were made, and that not 
so much injustice was done the natives 
in the purchase of their land, as has by 
some been imagined. It would have 
been a difficult matter to have taken the 



guin, the Sachem of that part of the country. 
Besides engaging to protect him against the In- 
dians of the neighborhood, they paid to him and 
his tribe, twelve coats of English cloth, twelve 
alchimy spoons, twelve hatchets, twelve hoes, 
two dozen knives, twelve porringers, and four 
cases of French knives and scissors. 



37 



advantage of the Indians in those bar- 
gains, if the Settlers had been so mind- 
ed, as the government early took the 
whole management of the land sales in- 
to their own hands, and passed prohibi- 
tory laws upon this subject, as will ap- 
pear by an extract of a letter from Gov- 
ernor Winslow dated May 1st, 1676, 
wherein he says, " I think I can clearly 
say that before the present trouble broke 
out, the English did not possess one foot 
of land in this colony, but what was fair- 
ly obtained by honest purchase of the 
Indian proprietors. Nay, because some 
of our people are of a covetous disposi- 
tion and the Indians are in straits, easily 
prevailed upon to part with their land, 
we first made a law that none should 
purchase or receive of gift, any lands of 
the Indians without the knowledge and 
allowance of our court, and a penalty of 
a fine of five pounds per acre for all that 
should be so bought or obtained.'* This 
was the regulation of the Plymouth Col- 
ony, and Massachusetts Bay passed a 
similar act. None were allowed to take 



38 



deeds of the Indians, except under cer- 
tain conditions pointed out and regula- 
ted by the Government* 

That the Indians were sometimes harsh- 
ly treated by the whites in time of war 
cannot be denied ; notwithstanding their 
mode of warfare, and their barbarous 
disposition to cruelty and bloodshed, yet 
we are satisfied that there are some acts 
of the first settlers, which do not fall a 
whit behind those of their red enemies. 
We have reference particularly to the 
treatment of their prisoners, which in 

* Soon after the termination of the Pequod 
war, about 1637, the settlers on the Connecticut 
River, above Hartford and Windsor, were ex- 
tremely straitened for want of bread corn, and 
were under necessity of applyinj^ to their neiich- 
bors for a supply, but not having any to part with, 
they next sent to the Narragansett country, but 
they were unable to find sufficient relief. 
Agents were then sent up the river to Pocom- 
tuck, (now Deerfield) to purchase corn of the 
Indians, who fitted out a fleet of fifty canoes 
loaded with corn, and descended the river, and 
sold it to the English at Windsor, this in some 
measure relieved the sufieriug people, and the 
most delicate fed on bread of this coarse, thoug h 
wholesome material. 



39 



some instances are not easily reconciled 
to the principles of justice, and the hum- 
ble requirements of Christianity. We 
have particular reference to the dispo- 
sition made of Anawon, (Phillip's great 
captain and counsellor,) when he was 
made prisoner by Capt. Church, soon af- 
ter the death of Phillip, he was conduct- 
ed to Boston, and there perfidiously put 
to death, and we have too much reason 
to believe that it was done with the 
knowledge, if not the consent of the 
government. This violent procedure 
could not be justified by any act of the 
natives, more especially by any act of 
this high-minded chief. He had conduc- 
ted himself with the utmost propriety, 
after his capture, he had fallen into the 
hands of his enemy by the fortune of 
war, and so long as he submitted to his 
fiite with humility, he was entitled to 
protection. He was taken by surprise, 
and submitted to his fate nobly. His 
conduct to Capt. Church was open, fair, 
honorable and high-minded ; when he 
surrendered himself and his. little army, 



40 



he brought forth all Phillip's richest ward- 
robe, consisting of elegant wampum 
belts, on which were wrought flowers, 
beasts and birds. One to which two 
flags were appended, and one with a 
star, and richly edged with red hair, cu- 
riously wrought ; a rich red cloth blank- 
et, and two horns of glazed powder. He 
addressed Capt. Church in the follow- 
ing language : 

'' Great Captain, you have killed Phil- 
lip, and conquered his country, I be- 
lieve I and my company are the last who 
war against the English. I suppose the 
war is ended by your means." 

He then proceeded to deck Capt. 
Church with Phillip's royal robes, which 
when he had done, he said; "you have 
won them, and I am happy in having an 
opportunity of delivering them to you." 

Who does not remember with some 
degree of gratitude, the many favors and 
kind acts of Masassoit the chief of the 
Wampanoags and father to Phillip, and 
Chickatawbut the principal chief of Mas- 
sachusetts Bay. Both of whom rendered 



41 



essential services to our fathers when 
they first landed and commenced a set- 
tlement. The former particiilaily made 
a treaty with them and he faithfully ob- 
served it for more than fifty years, and 
his people were friendly to the English. 
Some have believed that these two chiefs 
had it in their power to have destroyed 
the infant settlement, but by the appoint- 
ment of Providence, or som.e other cause 
they remained friendly while many of 
the neighboring tribes were hostile. 

Much is due to Uncas, chief of the 
Mohegans, who remained friendly to the 
English, and joined them in their wars 
against his Indian neighbors, he assisted 
them with his warriors, in fighting many 
a hard battle against their enemies. 
There is something noble in many ac 
tions of these high-minded Indians. 
When Uncas met his enemy Miantino- 
moh, chief of the Narragansetts, in time 
of war; the former at the head of five 
hundred, and the latter with nine hun- 
dred of his warriors, Uncas addressed 
his antagonist thus ; ''You have a num- 
ber of men with you and so have I with 



42 



me ; it is a great pity that such brave 
warriors should be killed in a private 
quarrel between us. Come like a man, 
as you profess to be, and let us fight it 
out. If you kill riie, my men shall be 
yours ; but if I kill you your men shall 
be mine." Miantinomoh replied, my 
men came to fight, and they shall fight." 

As soon as this answer was given, Un- 
cas gave the signal and his warriors 
poured in a shower of arrows upon the 
Narragansetts with a horrible yell, and 
advanced rapidly upon them and put 
them to flight. About thirty of them 
were slain ; Miantinomoh was overtak- 
en and seized by Uncas, who by a war 
whoop brought back the pursuers. Mi- 
antinomoh finding himself in the hands 
of his implacable enemy, he remained 
silent, nor could Uncas by any art, force 
him to break his sullen mood. 

" Had you taken me," said the con- 
queror, " I should have asked you for 
my life." No reply was made by the 
indignant chief, and he submitted with- 
out a murmur to his humiliating condi- 



43 



tion. He was conducted by his con- 
queror, to Hartford, where I regret to 
state, he was informally condemned to be 
executed by Uncas, on the same ground 
where he was taken prisoner ; he was 
marched by him to the battle ground, 
accompanied by some of his most trusty 
warriors, and also two Englishmen, to 
see that no torture was inflicted ; the 
moment he arrived at the fatal spot, one 
of Uncas' men came up behind, and 
with his hatchet split the skull of the un- 
fortunate chief. The body was hurried 
on the spot, and a heap of stones piled 
upon the grave. The place since that 
time has been known by the name of 
Sachem s plain. It is situated in the town 
of Norwich in Connecticut. 

There is one other instance, more 
strongly marked by the independent and 
high-minded character of one of those 
great captains, who fought against the 
English, at the first settlement of the 
country. It was Conanchet the princi- 
pal Sachem of the Narragansetts, who, 
after Winslow's defeat of the Indians in 



44 



the great swamp, in the Narragansett 
country, fled to Connecticut river, and 
had now returned to procure seed corn, 
to plant the lands on that river, he was 
fallen in with by Captains Dennison and 
Avery and taken prisoner. A young 
man belonging to the expedition, com- 
ing up began to question the chief, on 
various subjects, on which the indignant 
captive, with a look of contempt, repli- 
ed, "you much child — no understand 
matters of war ; let your captain come ; 
him I ivill answer!^ IJe was conveyed 
to Stonnington, after a short trial con- 
demned to be shot by the Mohegan and 
Pequot Sachems. On being oflfered his 
life, provided he would make peace with 
the English he rejected the proffer. 
When told his fate he complacently re- 
plied, that '' he liked it well — that he 
should die before his heart vms soft, or he 
had said any thing umvorthy of himself y 
This high-minded chief was a son of the 
famous Miantinomoh, mentioned above ; 
and he seemed to possess much of the 
spirit of his father. 



45 



Subjoined is a list of a few towns in 
Massachusetts and Connecticut, with 
their former Indian names, which will 
be generally found correct, except per- 
haps some variation in spelling. 

In Massachusetts. 



Boston, 

Salem, 

Worcester, 

Brookfield, 

Petersham, 

Athol, 

Northfield, 

Pittsfield, 

Deerfield, 

Hadley, 

Springfield, 

Northampton, 

Westfield, 



Shawmut, 
Naumkeag, 
PaJiachoog. 
Quaboag, 
Nichewaug. 
Poquaig. 
Squakeag. 
Pontoosiick. 
Pocomtiick. 
Norwothiick, 
Aggawam. 
Nonotuck, 
Woronoke. 



In Connecticut. 



Haddani, 
Hartford, 
Wethersfield, 
Middletown, 



Machemood'iis. 
Suckiang. 
Pauqidaug. 
Matabesick. 



46 



Windsor, PoquanocTc, 

New Haven, QuinipiacJc, 

Lyme, Nehardick. 

Symsbury, Massecoe, 

Derby, Paugassett. 

Woodbury, Pomperang, 

Indian names of the following rivers : 
viz. Connecticut River, Quoncktacuty 
Deerfield River, Pociimtuck. Green 
River, Pickomegan. Miller's River, 
Poquaig. 

Recapitulation of events in Deerfield. 
First grant of land to Dedham, 1669 
Began to settle at Pocomtuck, 1671 
Capt. Lathrop's defeat, town de- 
stroyed, 1675 
Began to re-settle, were driven off, 1677 
Commenced settling second time, 1682 
Settled a minister (Mr. Williams,) 1686 
Town destroyed second time, 1704 
Number of inhabitants at this time, 280 
Killed by the enemy, 47 
Taken prisoners at same time, 122 
Slain on the way to Canada, 19 
The number that never returned, 28 
The whole number redeemed from 
the enemy, 62 



NOTE . 

In offering the foregoing work to the 
public, I can only say, it is not my wish 
to appear as an author to any work ; but 
being frequently called upon to relate 
some of the incidents here recorded, I 
have been induced, at the repeated so- 
licitations of my friends, as well as 
those who often call to view the marks 
made by the savages upon the ancient 
house now standing at Deerfield, to 
put them down in my humble style, 
claiming no credit for the manner in 
which the work has been done ; nor " set 
down aught in malice " for criticims 
which any may choose to bestow upon 
it. I am sensible that if I had afforded 
myself more time, the arrangement of 
this plain humble matter, might have 
been improved. 

So far as relates to facts, I have en- 
deavored to be as accurate as the means 



48 



before me would permit, I have been 
obliged to rely for many facts, on the 
memory of those who have had them 
handed down from their fathers, and 
from my own memory, as related to me 
by my ancestors, who were sharers in 
many of the severe trials with the na- 
tives. I have also consulted, Rev. 
John Williams' Redeemed Captive; — 
Church's History of Indian Wars ; — 
Hoy t's Antiquarian Researches ; — Wil- 
'liam's History of Vermont ; — Holme's 
American Annals ; Bouchett's Descrip- 
tion of Canada, the ancient Journal of 
Massachusetts Legislature, and the re- 
cords of the towU; and sundry other au- 
thorities. 

In relation to Indian names, of per- 
sons and places, I have been governed 
vary much by authors before me. It is 
not strange that the orthography should 
very as we consult different authors, but 
the variation is so trifling, that it is not 
believed to be essential. 



The Author. 



X 



f 



